[PK] A Storm Subsides

[simpleglitchbro 529]

 

Last Word Letters

Grimm’s final marks left on this world.

“I left something for you. Willow knows where it is.” Those were some of the parting words that Grimm shared with his kin shortly before his demise. The man had many secrets, that was apparent, but this one perplexed you for quite some time. In search of answers, the hunt led you to the attic of the Sturmstrike clan house-a dusty, dimly lit room filled with cobwebs and stacks of paper reaching nearly as tall as yourself. Brushing past cobwebs and dodging the scattered pieces of a fractured mind, you eventually arrive at his desk. Looking over the sight fills you with melancholy, memories flashing into your mind of the overworked man hunched over his cramped workspace, still with a smile on his face…the same one he wore at the moment of his death. Was this life comfortable for him? Did he just enjoy the workload, or did he find some joy in the never-ending chaos, a bright light within the raging storm?

Your brief reflection is interrupted by the sight of a box sitting on the desk. Small, inconspicuous, unassuming. Hesitantly stepping forward, your fingers trace over the smoothly carved wood, feeling for a latch of some kind, but finding nothing. Attempting to open the box, you find it to be locked, from the inside? Your head tilts in confusion, pondering over his words for a moment before Grimm’s voice echoes through your mind once more, reading aloud the words on the box. “The ties that bind are stronger than blood;speak to their power and I shall open.” Having no other option, you lean down towards the box, whispering, pleading to it to open and reveal its secrets.

A quiet thunk sounds from within the box. Then, the sound of skittering, like a dozen little legs running about inside. Eventually, you hear a KA-CHUNK! As the lid hangs loose slightly. The latch must have been undone from inside. Swinging open the lid, your eyes catch the source of the noise-a small ball, about palm sized, with six multi-jointed legs. Sitting in the box as well is a stack of letters, the top one bearing the writing “To whoever finds this.” Taking the tattered envelope in a shaky hand, you open the letter, and begin to read.

 

 “To whoever found this,

If you’re reading this, there’s a very good chance I’m dead. And if I’m not, put this letter back and pray I don’t find out. As for my…let’s just say unorthodox approach to this, what’s a good story without a little mystery? At that point, it just becomes boring. But, when the story’s told and done, when the last page is turned, the mystery must be stripped away. And that’s what I intend to do. What you’ve discovered are my pure, unfiltered thoughts. Each of these letters are addressed to their intended recipient, with information on where to locate them. Even those that are more…difficult to track down. Normally I’d see this through myself, but given the circumstances, the task must fall to you, dear reader. Whoever you may be, may you grant a dead man one last favor? Please, deliver these as you see fit, be it by bird, by land, or sea, the method doesn’t matter. Only that my friends and family read these sealed words I have to share with them. I’ve lived a life full of regrets. Please, do not let this be one of them.

Thank you,

Grimm Halfaway-Sturmstrike

Warden of Ironguard

Chieftain of Clan Sturmstrike”

Vildr

 

Spoiler

“To the members of Clan Vildr,

Where to begin with you all? If there was one thing I had to owe my life to, it’s you all. Ciaran Sutherlainn-Vildr, I have never been more proud to call anyone brother. Thank you for scooping this gutter rat off the streets and turning him into something. Thank you for giving this starved child the tools he needed to put a roof over his head and food on his plate. And for my adoptive mother, Herlissa Vildr, thank you for showing me the wonders of my own mind. Thank you for helping me to break the chains that I put on myself, and become the person I never thought I’d be. You told me once that my magic is like a storm: Destructive and chaotic if uncontrolled, but powerful. I never stopped believing that, thanks to you. But every storm must subside. And if you have passed on by the time this letter reaches you, may I meet you on the other side, and finally see you again. And to Ciaran’s children, my nephews and nieces, I leave you with some parting advice: Never look back. Never turn your tail to someone in need of help. And above all, never allow yourself to give in. Goodbye, to all of you.

 

• Grimm.”

@PerfectLittleLady

 

 

 

Gylldene

Spoiler

“To the members of Clan Gylldene,

I watched the birth of your clan, from the mind of a brilliant blue-eyed bard. To you, Farian, I need to tell you I’ve always been proud of the things you accomplished. Despite how I may have treated you, know that I never once stopped believing in you. I encourage you, please, continue on without me, and make this old man proud. I’ll be watching you, so don’t slip up! To Sinner, I never understood why you were so adamant to keep me locked inside the clinic, to keep me from going back out there, into another battle, another close call. At the time of writing this, I now see why you did what you did. But, it’s too late for me at this point. I’ve gone too deep, and I know I won’t stop fighting until it kills me. But, know you did what you could. And I thank you for it every day. I hope your clan continues to prosper, and please, never stop composing your beautiful symphonies.

 

Your friend,

• Grimm.”

 

@PestyWarlock @ShinyB @Calise11 @PanicZealot
 

 

 

Anarore

 

Spoiler

“To the members of Clan Anarore,

I’m getting this one out of the way first, thank you Estel, for being one of the closest friends I could’ve asked for. Every time I needed it, you were right there by my side. You never once hesitated to join me for even the most dangerous of tasks, and I respect that. Thank you for being by my side. And, to Iosefka Anarore, Laird of Grenzstadt, and the best arthur in the world: I never truly got to understand how that brain worked, locked behind layers and layers of perplexing mannerisms. But I cannot deny, you were one of the strongest people I knew. Perhaps the strongest. That will need to be put to the test, though I’ve never seen anyone knock a cannon off its hinges with their fists before. You better never stop being that strong, you hear me? Even if I hate to admit it.

 

Your nuisance,

• Grimm.”

 @Lunan_EXE @ichigomaster98

 

 

 

Sturmstrike

 

Spoiler

“Now, to my clanmates, and my children.

I have believed all I need to say has been said, but I will re-state it for you. All of you have broken my expectations every day I’ve been alive. I once never believed I would even have a family again, and yet now I wake up to the sounds of your voices echoing through the house. Knox, I leave the clan under your watch. As my most trusted bookkeeper, you already know of the legacy I’ll be leaving behind. I trust you to watch them as they grow and become something special. Teach them my ways, I entrust this to you as my last order as your Chieftain.

 

Your founder, father, and friend,

• Grimm.”

@Liam5232 @Azorablue20

 

 

Odin

 

Spoiler

“To Odin Freysson Ruric,

Yes, I’m using your full name this time. Too bad you can’t do anything about it, huh? I’m already dead! In all seriousness, I have you to thank maybe most of all. Though I learned a lot from the others, it was you who taught me to look head-on into trouble and never show fear. Shout loud, like you’re scaring off a bear-those words still stick with me to this day. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy your well-deserved retirement as I take my place with the dead.

 

Your loyal friend,

• Grimm.”

@ichigomaster98

 

 

 

Medea and Walter

 

Spoiler

“To Medea and the Doc,

Some of my earliest friends I had made, I got to watch you grow and change just as I did. Walter, you stopped wearing that mask, I saw. And Medea, where do I begin? Wearing a crown and fancy dress now, over a suit of armor? I’ll admit, I was shocked, but it suits you. I’ll always remember the time we spent together. I hope your lands thrive under your leadership. Unfortunately, I never could hang up the sword.

 

Your drinking buddy,

• Grimm.”

  @JTMedea @6Dark

 

 

Quildor Soltee

Spoiler

“To Quildor,

Or whoever you end up being this time around-you really were the strangest friend I ever had, weren’t you? Regardless, I’m still glad I got to call you a friend. Through the many faces you wore, I still always saw the same person under each of them, and I know now that I took an irreversible path, one you warned me not to. I’m sorry I didn’t listen. I hope you can forgive me now.

 

Your comrade,

• Grimm.”

 

@PlutoPhobia

 

 

 

Spoiler

[OOC:]

This has been one hell of a journey, as my first character on the server, Grimm was a character I really enjoyed. But he had to die eventually, and I'm glad I got to do it in a proper send-off. I met a lot of people on this persona, and I enjoyed making friends as him, doing drinking contests, or having various crazy CRP scenarios.  A massive thank you to everyone who accepted him as a character, since if you didn't, I wouldn't even be here on this server today. As for his death, I leave the question of how he died for the people who killed him to know :) And for anyone wanting to be a sleuth to sleuth it out.

 

[Liam5232 450]

Knox would stare into the night... "Shit..."

[Operator_Bugman 347]

A very old Mali slowly makes his way through the southern nations when he receives the news. "Well there goes one of my favorite puppets, I wonder if I'll be able to steal the body away before it's burned."

[Aimy_lol 429]

Amethyne shed some tears as she heard the news. A sad, very sad feeling washed over her as she sat in her cramped and messy storage unit, rocking back and forth in an upright fetal position. Not again...Who is next..?

[beetle 3315]

The old Princess of Norland gasped at the news. A friend she knew many years ago, someone she cared for, now gone.
Rosalind lit a candle for him, laid flowers at an altar, praying to the All-Father.

[Tav 4336]

A hum echoed from Alva - one of thinking, nowhere near mirth for her comrade's death. The smell of burning oak wafts through the air, rising smoke contorting amongst it. She takes another good look at her face, and what lines revealed themselves. Perhaps she doesn't have forever,
                .. What a grim thought; Perhaps her time was to come, too.                                                                                             

[PestyWarlock 539]

Farian of Clan Gylldene reads the letter given to him by his kinsman, his voice hastening as he takes in the information, "I... will not believe it until I see it for myself. Perhaps he simply needs us to believe he's dead, some sort of mission, perhaps..." The normally stoic and calm chieftain's voice faltered as his mind grasped for reasoning, salvation from this news.

[ShinyB 567]

Sera Gylldene stands beside Willow Sturmstrike after they worked together to solve the very hard riddle and open the aforementioned box. She reads over the beginning letter before taking one addressed to the Gylldene clan.

 

"Letters? That's boring- I mean. How thoughtful." She quickly corrects her tone in the presence of Willow. Quietly, she contemplates how she will tell her fellow clan members the news...

[MightyMott 48]

Willow remained silent tears welling in her eyes, as she had looked upon his lifeless body. She would live on for him, but would never be the same. She had found all of what he left for her including the box with these letters. Unsure of how to move forward she'd attempt to live the life he wished her to. Willow was glad that Sera could help her solve the riddle, and that Farian promised Grimm to teach her.

 

[XoxoMinnieXoxo 784]

A hooded figure hunched over in a dimly lit room, within the shadows cast by boarded-up windows. A sigh echoed out from Kolvar - one that struck a nerve with the somber news of a beloved friend, a past comrade. From the dim lighting, the musky room is filled with the faint odor of stale liquor and cigarettes. After reciting a prayer to the stars above, the wicked woman would light a candle in his honor. 

[ichigomaster98 966]

Awoken from their nap by their smaller self, a letter is pressed onto the face of the best arthur in the world. "Yes, yes I know." Came the dispassionate reply as the letter is set between Bock the chicken and the wall for safekeeping. "The compass works in most realms and dimensions, he'll find his way home. He still owes me favors." Was all that was further said as they went back to sleep. Confident that wherever Grimm was, he'd not be lost.

 

Elsewhere, a retired king received the letter. "He'd better have died standing, shouting, fighting, proud. Or else at home, surrounded by loved ones." A break from stacking coins was taken for a while as the recollections of the Ashguardsman who stood above the ground rather than below it are gone over once more in the ledger of memories. Then, a small statue of Grimm Halfaway-Sturmstrike, Warden of Ironguard, Founder Chieftain of Clan Sturmstrike, is added in the model Alisgrad square, next to Aartvamn and all the other friends who have since gone to Stand Against The Long Dark with the All-Father in His halls.

 

Farther still, in a far off land, fighting an endless battle in a quest to earn their own death, a tired soldier thinks briefly of that skinny Ashguardsman from Alisgrad. A momentary reprieve from their sorrows as they hope that the one who followed his path found the happy ending the old soldier was denied.

[Calise11 841]

The Witch She giggled maniacally as Grimm's body fell limp in their kitchen. “Ice cream!” she gleefully called out into the room of dark creatures, for Grimm's life’s work was the reason he was murdered. Covered in a mist of crimson, the witch drained the blood from his heart.

“Ice cream, ice cream!” she sang with child-like exuberance, her voice a mixture of anticipation and glee. Her eyes sparkled with frenzied excitement as she traced the recipe with a blood-smeared finger, her enthusiasm for the concoction almost palpable. Grimm was nothing but a Fjarriagua's dessert, a key ingredient in her recipe—a problem solved, two birds with one stone.
 

“Ah-ha!” She fished up the jewelled eye she had previously ripped from his socket, tendons and nerves still prominently attached. The eye held the clue upon whom  felled the Norlandic Guard.  "Oh can't have this lying around can we?" Further more a compass was found in the pocket of the dead. It too would be shoved into the satchel. 

“A bird, a bird will take this to the City! "She sung merrily.  And so, a bird did. It arrived promptly at dawn after his death, carrying a tiny satchel. Inside was the eye, and the compass bloodied... It arrived on the step of the  Hearth Temple

---

Sissle The young Frey watches as the adults converse, ever more faces drooping. She wonders who died.
 

Phen placed her hand upon the Strum-Strike clan door and ushered it closed for the last time. Her face, taut with anguish, she laid a boot into the clan’s door in a flurry of anger at the news of her dead father. She made a beeline to the back gate. She would not rest until she discovered how her father was felled.

Sinner: She looked upon the letter, her eyes misting. She buried her head in her wrinkled hands. “My first friend…” she whispered into her piles of paper, her desk swamped.

Edited September 9, 2024 by Calise11

[Violet Medea 778]

An elfess with snow white hair and violet eyes sat within her home in front of the fire place as she lets herself ponder within the memories of the past. A snow owl would fly through an open window before landing next to the woman with a letter. She pets her owl thank you before taking the item from the bird. Upon opening the letter, warm tears would begin to run down her cheeks as she red the words written for her and her husband. Holding the letter close to her heart, she feels as if a piece of her heart is taken from her. "I knew this day would come, and I knew I should have been prepared, but even though I thought I was, I am not...you were not only a friend, but a brother. Rest now within the stars, Grimm, and if we cross paths once more in our next life, I look forward to being your drinking buddy all over." The elfess would sit within her quiet home for the rest of the day, letting herself sink into the good memories that she had made with her dear friend. "Until we meet again, Grimm"

[PanicZealot 648]

The Captain began by pouring a bottle of his imported liquor into the sea. Met with another grim reminder of death he thought of the first time Grimm met and held his daughter Amethyne. "Well...at least the man went out the way he chose. All anyone can ask for." He began to hum an odd tune as he wandered the beaches of Cormath. 

[6Dark 431]

Walter himself would be tinkering with his automaton hand when the letter was received, brought to him by his automaton. After reading the letter itself, a deep sigh escaped his mouth, he threw the tool which he was using in a fit of sorrow and anger. "I did take off the mask, old friend...May your soul rest in peace and your journey kept safe." Afterwards, he would wipe his tears which streamed down his face after his fit of sorrow, he grabbed a drink from his cabinet and poured one out for his old friend. "Until our paths cross in afterlife, Grimm.."